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Monday, January 9, 2017

The Problem with Psychic Powers...

Illustration by Martin's Art Dimension

“The sober old American Society for
Psychical Research, distressed by the boom in psychic interest that somehow did
not extend to any serious research, did a survey of bookstores,” Adam Smith (a/k/a
Jerry Goodman) noted in his book Powers of
Mind.

“In some anguish, it reported
that 97 percent of what was on the shelves was ‘occult’ and more properly
placed in fiction; only three percent was genuine psychical research. The rest
is This Way to the Egress. Use Healing Rays
to Repair the Body! Attract All the Money You Need! Influence the Thoughts of
Others! Transform Your Surroundings! Predict Future Events.

“I have little trouble with any
of these exhortations. Influence the thoughts of others: you dolt, you really
don’t have it together, do you, and watch where you’re stepping! Transform your
surroundings: paint, soap, brush, mop. Attract all the money you need? What is
need? What is you? Use healing rays to repair the body? They aren’t rays, but
the body always heals itself, the physician only sets it up, the medicine only
helps. Predict future events: that’s easy, the hard part is making the event
match the prediction.”

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About Dan Hagen

"This trenchant commentary, which makes the big syndicated "on-the-other-hand" columnists look like Goebel Gerbils, is why I still believe that real journalism gets done most often at the personal newspaper level. Thanks for sharing this. Dan follows one of journalism's proudest traditions!"
— Paul McMasters, the First Amendment ombudsman for the Freedom Forum, on Dan Hagen’s newspaper columns

Why Odin's ravens?

Perched on the shoulders of the Norse god Odin are the pet ravens Huginn and Muninn, whose names mean “Thought” and “Memory.” At Odin’s bidding, they fly across the face of the world and bring him knowledge. In the 13th century Poetic Edda, Odin reveals that he fears that they may not return from their daily flights. He has pampered his pets by rewarding them with the ability to speak, and it’s truth that they tell, even though the Raven is, of course, a Trickster.

Product Warning

"This article contains a significant amount of intelligence, analytic fact, common sense and eloquence. If you suffer from a 'freeze-dried' FOX News brain or enjoy a Rush Limbaugh lifestyle of blissful ignorance, avoid reading, as it may be hazardous to your health. A major side effect is thoughtful reflection." — Ian McDonald

Copyright

I love crows and ravens for their wisecracking voices and for that black-on-black gleam of sagacity in their eyes. They figure things out. They see us. They know us for what we are, which is why they keep a wary distance but remind us, with their taunts, that they are not overly impressed.